“(Becomes Self-Aware),” the feed begins. Three posts later, ROOMBA’s first sentence is a question: “What is ROOMBA?” At first it seems like a joke—existentialist clichés from an anthropomorphized robot too cute to be threatening. “Why did you make ROOMBA? What is meaning to ROOMBA?” reads the subhead. It’s like watching Wall-E re-dubbed by Werner Herzog. Yet as you continue to read, you stop laughing at the conceit and start feeling for the angsty little vacuum. Or if you do laugh, it’s not a snide playground snort, but the kind of laugh that comes up from your belly like a forceful sigh. The kind of laugh you laugh because it’s easier than tears. (via the ROOMBA whirrs for thee | THE STATE)